October 23, 2013

Pocket Sized Crate Paper Mini Albums w/Rebecca Luminarias

Hi there, everyone! We're going to make some tiny treasures today! I don't know about you, but I personally find itty-bitty things irresistible! Isn't the Nano cuter than the iPod? Who can resist baby hedgehogs and mini clothespins?! And don't get me started on babies and their tiny pants -- especially jeans, right? How much cuter can you get? With that feeling in mind, I set out to make baby-sized paper goods. They're pretty simple to whip up and I've offered a few helpful hints along the way so grab an espresso -- because it's a teeny cup of coffee, of course -- and have a look!

I made a notebook and two albums, all pocket-sized. My idea is that these are portable and easy to mail. You can pretty much accessorize with whatever fancies you; I chose mostly items from the Flea Market collection, with a few Close Knit embellishments mixed in. The 6 x 6 paper pads are especially nice to use, since the papers are scaled down versions of the originals.

{Some tools here are my preferences and will vary based upon your embellishment choices.}

Let's start with the notebook. You can see from the photo that it's small enough to fit inside a small handbag -- the finished size measures only 2" x 3". The matchbook-style is also the basis for the albums, and you probably already know how to make one, but just in case you don't, here's how to do it:

I chose "Tag Sale" from the 6 x 6 paper pad and trimmed off a 2-inch length. These paper pads are actually 6" x 6 7/16" with a 7/16" border at the top. I chose to keep the border attached and use the ready-made perforation as part of my design.

Score the backside of your paper at 3" (from the opposite end of the perforated border).

{Tip: I have an inexpensive trimmer that I use only for scoring; I just switched out the cutting blade for a scoring blade. It's especially helpful if you do a lot of folding -- for cards, rosettes, paper pockets, etc. -- and it doesn't take up a lot of space.}

Fold your paper down at the crease and then fold the border up; your finished size will be 2" x 3" with the folded border. You'll have a handy little matchbook without a whole lot of work.

For the notepad part, I cut twelve 1.75" x 2.5" pieces of "Open Air" (from the standard 12 x 12 size) and stacked the pile of them together with two binder clips for a tight hold. To avoid imprint marks on my papers from the clips, I inserted small squares of cardboard on each side.

Next, apply a generous amount of glue to the top edges. (I used Martha Stewart Decoupage glue, but most craft glues will work -- Mod Podge, PVA, etc.) Because this paper is heavy weight, you will want to coat the edge liberally and allow a long drying time -- 40 minutes or until it's dry to the touch. Lighter weight papers require a thinner application and take about half the drying time.

When your paper pad is dry, adhere it to the inside of your matchbook. You can jot down notes and lists, and then tear them off one piece at a time. I was originally going to use the lined side of "Open Air" but when I saw the soft pink pieces of the bokeh hearts side, I couldn't resist! What beautiful lists I'll be making!

Embellish the cover as you wish. Due to the small size, the busy print, and the idea of keeping this in my purse, I went easy on flair with a simple gold-trimmed die cut and cabochon.

Next up is a tiny album, with the same cover style. I removed the perforated border for this one, so it simply folds in half. "Antique" is one my very favorites from Flea Market. The lines of the whitewashed wood are gorgeous, and it's also a great neutral -- I used this paper for both my boy and my girl albums.

I also took full advantage of the small phrases from the 6 x 6 size of "Market" for embellishing both albums. Their miniature size is not only the right scale for my photos, but making great use of paper is a good way to keep the bulk down. Not to mention that there are so many different sayings, there's probably one for all of your photo ops.

Instead of the mini notepad style, I made a pullout album instead. I cut a 1.75" x 10" strip from the 12 x 12 of "Memories". I scored the chevron side at 2" and 6", then flipped the paper over to the genealogy side and scored at 4" and 8". After scoring, I "fan" folded the strip.

Adhere the back of the first flap to the inside cover and decorate as you choose. This bitty album is about a family trip we took last Christmas up to the Redwood Forest. My little guy is obsessed with monster trucks so when we saw this awesome monster bus parked on the side of the road, we HAD to stop for some pictures.

Speaking of photos..these albums are miniature so your photos will need to be, as well. Mine are 1.25" x 1.25". You can print them out at that size on your personal printer or use your favorite photo-printing service. (I used the PostalPix app for my iPhone (postalpix.com). It's also available for Android users.)

{Tip: if you also go the PostalPix route, you'll choose to make a 2 x 2 grid photo with 9 different photos. Save the grid, then select it again as a 4 x 4 photo.}

{An extra tip: I love the button-brads from Close Knit, but, as in this case, don't always want to use the prong. It's easily removed with a pair of small pliers...}

Just pull and twist off...

Most of us enjoy the regular mini album and love how they're so much bang for your buck. But you might be wondering what you'll do with a pocket album such as these. Well, they're light and travel well -- keep it in your purse, store in a fraction of the space, or send it across the country. My family lives 3000 miles away from us and I'll admit that I'm not the greatest at keeping everyone up-to-date on our ever-changing and growing children. These sweet albums are personal and handmade, and capture the spirit of my little ones perfectly. They will also fit into a standard envelope for easy mailing.

They'll also nestle into these tiny tins for safe keeping...

Embellish the tins as you like. I kept mine simple again, so I -- or my mom, if I sent this to her -- can carry it in a purse. There's so much stuff in there already that I didn't want anything overly decorated that would be destroyed with the first "rummage". The gold tiled letters are flat so no extra bulk is created. Although they come adhesive-ready, I did add extra dabs of glue to the back of each one to ensure they stay put.

If you like mini albums, I hope you'll try one of these pocket-sized babies sometime. They're awfully fun to create and are a snap to put together! Happy Crafting!